Name of Client and product: James Madison University and IMC Plan

Campaign Theme: "Virginia May be Temporary, but JMU is Forever”

MKTG 384 Section 2

8/28/19-12/10/19

James Madison University (JMU)

Stellar Marketing Group

Professor Canessa Collins

Ashley Batitto, Josh Biggs, Grace Hasslinger, Jordan Kessler, Erynn Stauder

November 21st, 2019

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 Table of Contents
Agency Philosophy …………………………………………………….. Page 3

Executive Summary ……………………………………………………. Page 4

Industry growth………………………………………………………….Page 5

Company Snapshot …………………………………………………….. Page 6

Description …………………………………………………………….. Page 7

Competitive Review ………………………………………………….... Pages 8 - 11

Buyer Analysis …………………………………………………………. Pages 12-14

Marketing Goals ……………………………………………………….. Page 15

Promotional Program Situation Analysis ……………………………… Page 16-17

IMC Objectives and Strategies ………………………………………… Page 18

Creative Recommendations …………………………………………… Page 19

Media Plan ……………………………………………………………. Pages 20-34

Media Flowchart ……………………………………………………… Pages 35-36

Budget Breakdown and Summary ……………………………………. Pages 37-39

Measurement and Evaluation ………………………………………… Pages 40-41

Conclusion ……………………………………………………………. Page 41

Appendices ……………………………………………………………. Pages 42-43

References ……………………………………………………………... Pages 44-46

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 Agency Philosophy: Stellar Marketing Group

The Brightest Marketers in Town

Mission Statement: Our Mission is to achieve success at the highest level possible. We strive on making sure
our clients are deeply cared for and that they receive the respect they deserve.

Agency Philosophy: Our Agency is unique in the sense that we work for you. As a group of JMU alumni and
recent graduates, we all have a connection. Stellar Marketing Group provides a broad range of services while
maintaining the integrity and personal relationships throughout the entire process.

Our competitive advantage is an extensive network of JMU Alumni. We hire over 20 recent graduates annually,
which gives us a broad range of relevant experiences. Our company is filled with great people who have great
communication skills.

Stellar Marketing Group provides the best quality service with a major focus on the customer. We ensure we hit
every need and want the client has. We have always shown impressive ROIs on every project we have done.
We focus on education, nonprofits, and government organizations.

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 Executive Summary
Stellar Marketing Group is excited to announce the implementation of an integrated marketing communications
campaign with James Madison University (JMU) located in Harrisonburg, VA. Recently, JMU has conducted studies
that suggest the number of students coming from the Northeastern region is projected to decline due to smaller high
school graduation rates and a declining population. To combat this, JMU hopes to increase the number of inquiries,
applications, and admissions from students within the Greater Los Angeles area.

This will be done by targeting Los Angeles (LA) teenagers, high schools, guidance counselors, and other relevant
personnel within these corresponding school districts. Furthermore, the campaign is set to launch within the
upcoming months and will take place over four years. The ultimate objective of the campaign is to have twenty
additional students from the LA area enrolled at James Madison University. To achieve this goal, JMU would like to
increase the number of inquiries and applications from students through the use of numerous promotional tools.
These tools include advertisements through television, radio, magazines, newspapers and the use of direct marketing
components.

Stellar Marketing Group is extremely excited to announce the theme of JMU’s campaign: “Virginia may be
temporary, but JMU is forever.” This theme captures the goals as well as capitalizes on the thoughts and feelings of
students from the LA area. While these students will be taking a leap of faith by moving across the country to
receive an education, they will have some of the best times of their lives surrounded by friends and the beautiful
Shenandoah Valley. JMU believes the time they spend at JMU will be memorable and become part of their
identities. While JMU alumni may choose to go back to California, they’ll always be connected to JMU.

This IMC Plan consists of multiple sections that come together to create a cohesive whole that is closely aligned with
the campaign theme of “Virginia may be temporary, but JMU is forever.” Stellar will dive into the current status of
the college/university as a whole and an outline of the current industry’s statistics, growth, and current trends. The
company snapshot dives into JMU’s current market share, presenting strengths and weaknesses associated with the
university. A description section of JMU dives deeper into the company’s current situation through a SWOT
Analysis associated with the university. The competitive review section highlights both direct and indirect
competitors to JMU. These competitors often range from other prestigious universities to completely different paths
such as the army or trade/vocational schools.

To run a successful campaign, the target market becomes the most important aspect of the plan. This is elaborated on
in the buyer analysis section. After a buyer analysis, there is a section that highlights the different marketing goals
JMU would like to accomplish. These range from quantitative goals such as an increase in the number of
applications to more qualitative-based goals, such as increasing the knowledge and perception of JMU among Los
Angeles students. The promotional program situation analysis reviews current and past marketing plans taken by
JMU. While they have proved beneficial in some aspects, a program will be implemented to attack certain aspects of
those campaigns that are not appropriate for the greater LA area. After analyzing JMU’s past and current situations,
this report will focus on the objectives and strategies specific to this Integrated Marketing Communications plan.
This includes the creative recommendations that Stellar Marketing Group has suggested to capitalize on the success
of this program.

Following creative recommendations, the media plan is outlined with samples of commercials, radio scripts,
television ads, etc. It also features a flowchart that highlights when Stellar plans on rolling out certain media and how
long they will be implemented in the larger scheme.

There is a $400,000 per year budget to accommodate everything this IMC plan encompasses, ranging from different
marketing mediums to any sort of promotional tool. To evaluate the success of the program, JMU will have a few
different methods in place, ranging from the number of inquiries received through the campaign to the number of
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additional students that enroll. After a breakdown of the budget and ways to evaluate the effectiveness of JMU’s
campaign, a conclusion of the IMC plan is listed. The last portion within the IMC Plan is a comprehensive list of
Stellar’s references and the inclusion of any extra deliverables that did not have an initial place within the plan.

Industry Background

The size of the higher education, colleges, and universities industry is $487.46 billion in revenue with an
expected total of 12.2 million students by 2024. The industry is currently growing at 1.4% and universities
make a profit of $46.8bn per year. The problem currently is that the industry revenue is estimated to decrease by
.08% for the following 5 years. By 2024 the higher education market will finally be expected to rebound as the
job market is expected to contract.

Current Trends/Developments Affecting the Promotion Program

Costs and Competition: Tuition continues to increase which will make it more difficult for students to attend
and will be forced to choose a more affordable option. This will result in increased competition from
community college and trade schools.

Budget Cuts and New Technology: University/College will continue to cut costs over the next five years to help
maintain higher education. Increase in implementation of online education programs to help lower costs and
compete with community colleges.

Macro-environment Factors and Issues

The higher education industry is seeing many shifts and changes within its macro-environment. The industry is
seeing rapid changes in demographic realities, including increased diversity, a variation of students by age,
ability, and interest. One of the most concerning trends has been a decline in high school graduation rates and
family sizes, especially in the Mid-Atlantic region. Schools are seeing higher demand from donations, grants
and endowment, government funding for universities, high school retention rates, and national unemployment
rates. Within the technological space, many new innovations are arising to help improve the student experience
while also seeing a shift for more online courses. With the upcoming election of 2020, there is a possibility to
see a change in political figures which can create laws and regulations on the higher education system. The
federal government has been regulating certain aspects of higher education and often cutting the funds given to
accredited universities which have been a concern for some schools. US society also faces a constant short-term
shift in societal trends and attitudes which can affect how the younger generation perceives the value of getting
a degree or spending the money on it. Some religious factors can affect higher education, but typically, have not
been an effect or major issue in the past. With the heightened demand for sustainability and environmental
consciousness, there have been effects on places of higher education. It is expected for universities to start
implementing things like parking smart, green vehicles, light pollution, and advancing sustainability for food
and food waste.

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 Company Snapshot: James Madison University

James Madison University was ​founded in 1908 as the ​State Normal and Industrial School for Women​ in
Harrisonburg, the institution was renamed Madison College in 1938 in honor of President James Madison and
then James Madison University in 1977. It currently holds 19,883 undergraduate students, 1,925 graduate
students, and 1,061 faculty members. JMU has consistently obtained a 5% growth rate. JMU’s image is
centered around the ​friendly university providing great education and scenery. Notable alumni are Jim Acosta,
Jennifer Morgan, Kathy Gordon, and Arthur Moats.

Sales History: Revenue

Target Market
James Madison University targets high school students in-state and northeastern states.

Positioning
James Madison University is positioned by its high quality of education, with a low-medium price per credit.
JMU positions themselves as a friendly university through their constant sharing of traditions, such as holding
the door for the person behind you.

Brand Review
Brand Strengths: Colorful and visually-appealing
Brand Weaknesses: Harps on the same message and focuses on states within a certain geographical region

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 Product Description

James Madison University owns about 0.000000909% of the market with about $443,104,000 in sales this past
year. They are seeing around a 5.6% growth.

SWOT Analysis

Key Benefits
James Madison University has a variety of benefits including the appearance of the school, being in a
convenient location that is close to Washington D.C., and providing unique opportunities for students.

Brand Image
JMU is perceived as a large, state school with a picturesque campus. It is known for its social/greek life scene,
friendly culture, and proximity to the Washington D.C. metro area.

Brand Positioning
Stellar Marketing wants James Madison University to be perceived as a valuable university that can add unique
experiences for students and their future. James Madison University has a higher acceptance rate than its
competitors at 73%. James Madison University is also perceived as having a lower out-of-state tuition cost than
other competing schools at $26,164. These numbers show a large opportunity for students at a fair price.

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 Competitive Review
Direct Competitors
The University of California System
Revenue is around $24,800,000,000 with a market share of 5% and a growth of 7.2%. The key benefit derived
by attending one of these schools are the notable professors and athletic communities, students can choose
between 9 different campuses. The schools positioned by the phrase “Nine campuses. One Application”, easy to
apply system that admits you to whichever campus you choose and all the campuses are extremely diverse.
They advertise through PR, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr. With a promotion budget of
$1,240,000,000 (Billion). Their strengths are in-state tuition and close to home. Various university programs
and capital outlay projects are funded through appropriations from the state’s Annual Budget Act. Parental
influences to stay within California and weaknesses are can be too big or too close to home for some students,
Their message and media strategies are below.

The University of Texas Systems

Revenue is around $11,300,000,000 with a market share of 2.3% and a growth of 7.2%. Some key benefits
presented by this school include notable colleges and athletic programs and provide students with 14 total
campuses. The University of Texas Systems is positioned by the phrase “Fourteen Institutions, Unlimited
Possibilities.” They use a variety of advertising tools including PR, Twitter, billboards, Facebook, Instagram,
and Youtube and have a promotional budget of $565,000,000, which was calculated from Revenue. They use
direct marketing and advertising for their promotional program mix. Their strengths are a good education, far
from home, athletics and high admission rate for some branches. Their weaknesses are that the school can be
too far from home, weather, multiple applications for each campus, the low admission rate for some branches,
and students would be paying out-of-state tuition.

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University of Virginia
Revenue for UVA is around $8,550,165,000 with a growth rate of 1.5%. Some key benefits of the University of
Virginia include Division 1 Athletics, online programs, and the top-ranked hospital in Virginia. UVA also has
high rankings from various reports. This school positions itself as an affordable high-class education. The
University of Virginia uses various advertising including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, PR, blogs
and has a promotional budget of $427,508,250 with advertising in their marketing mix. Their strengths include
a great location, great student-faculty relations, and is comparable to an Ivy League education. Some
weaknesses include a lack of diversity with an extremely competitive admissions process and admittance into
certain colleges within the university, such as the College of Business.

Arizona State University

ASU’s revenue is approximately $1,269,985,000 with an enrollment growth rate of 5%. Arizona State
University’s key benefits include a large alumni network, D1 Athletics, nice weather year-round and the
implementation of numerous online programs. The school positions itself by increasing research efforts and
advertises through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. They use a promotion program mix that
includes advertising, public relations, and sales promotions. Some strengths of Arizona State University include
online degree programs, high approval of transfer credits, and an offering of over 300 undergraduate programs.
Some weaknesses include the tuition costs associated with out-of-state students, a lack of diversity, and a few
bad PR events.

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Indirect Competitors
Military: Army, Navy, Air Force

All of these branches have spent $989,000,000,000 Billion with 100% of market share. The key benefit of
joining one of these organizations is that it is a sustainable job out of high school providing benefits with no
extra education. Positioning for each brand is Army has a focus on “Join Now Get up to 40,000”, Navy
“Transform your life and become part of something bigger”, and airforce is “Aim High”. Their biggest form of
advertising is through recruiters then through mediums such as social media, schools, public areas. Promotion
budget ranges around $3.2 billion spent on an advertising mix. Strengths include a variety of educational
options, access to healthcare and retirement benefits, and financial security. Weaknesses include the issue of
mental health, difficult to exit/commit the next few years of your life to the armed forces. Their message and
media strategies are below.

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Entering the Workforce

Approximately 33% of new graduates enter the workforce. The main interests derived by entering the
workforce out of high school include benefits (especially if full-time employment) and receival of paychecks
right away without more schooling. The workforce doesn’t necessarily target those straight out of college, it’s
more towards anyone within the general population looking for a job. Typically jobs will be posted on
professional social media platforms, online job listing platforms, or presented by recruiters. It is more difficult
to quantify due to the numerous fields and professions associated with the workforce. The strengths by entering
the workforce are more money now, the person gains a feeling of independence and the ability to determine
your schedule (more so than if in college) with no student loans (if applicable). Weaknesses include the
negative stigma (sometimes associated with no higher education), typically obtain a lower economic status than
those that choose to go to school, fewer high paying jobs and less job flexibility.

Trade or Vocational School

Trade and vocational schools receive about $15,800,000,000 a year. The market share is hard to quantify due to
many different trades and growing demand for these skills throughout the adult population. These schools have
seen approximately 14% growth in the past decade. The key benefits of choosing this option are there is a high
demand job with specialized skill set gained by attending these schools. thus, there is the opportunity to learn
technical (or other) skills that not many people have. These schools emphasize that many of these jobs are in
high demand and base value proposition on the fact it’s much cheaper than a traditional university. Many of
their advertising is done on social media and school-specific websites. The strengths of this option are increased
job security due to certain trades always being in demand, it is cheaper than a college education, and will
provide relevant job experience. Weaknesses of this option are low job flexibility outside of trade studied and
would not have that full “college experience”. Message and media strategies are below.

Buyer Analysis
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User Profile
Demographics:​ Middle to high income families, high school students, and guardians
Geographic: ​Southern California (Greater Los Angeles Area)
Psychographic:​ Students who are adventurous and willing to try new things
Behavioristic: ​Students that are independent, regularly go out and/or party, dedicated to their academics, and a
part of extracurricular organizations.

Buying Decision Process

Problem Recognition: ​A high school student is looking into further his/her education on and is beginning to
look for universities to attend.
Information Search​: Starts by searching for colleges and then filtering them based on his or her preferences.
Alternative Evaluation​: The student begins to compare the selected colleges by which one can satisfy his or
her preferences. These selected colleges are part of the evoked set.
Purchase Decision​: Everything JMU offers matches the motives of the student, and therefore, chooses to
attend after graduation.
Post Purchase Evaluation​: Evaluating whether or not the college they chose works for them after actually
experiencing it first hand. Students could decide they love the school or make a change afterward. Individuals
may consider transferring to a different school or leaving school completely for the workforce.

Who Buys the Product?

High school students and parents.

Who Influences the Purchase Decision?

Peers, parents, and school personnel such as guidance counselors and high school teachers.

Who Makes the Decision?

The student and often in collaboration with their parent(s) or the one that’s funding their education.

Decision Criteria
Size of school​: 19,883 undergraduate students
Expenses associated with attending a University​: ​Out-of-state tuition: $24,150​, ​Comprehensive fee: $4,956,
Room and board: $10,740​ = ​Total: $39,846
Tuition rates will typically decrease following freshman year when a student chooses to live off-campus and no
longer pays the full price associated with “room and board”
Location of school:​ Harrisonburg, Virginia
Graduate/Professional options following time as an undergraduate:​ 58 masters and 8 doctoral degrees
Quality of Education: ​multiple accreditations and recognized for having great academics
Schools within the University​ (7 Colleges)
● College of Business
● College of Education
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 ● College of Arts and Letters
● College of Science and Mathematics
● College of Health and Behavioral Studies
● College of Integrated Science and Technology
● College of Visual and Performing Arts
Accreditation​: JMU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions. In
addition, many of the schools within JMU have further accreditation by other organizations. (College of
Business accredited by AACSB-International → Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)
Extracurricular activities​:
● Greek Life: Tri Sigma, Phi Kappa Psi
● Religious Organizations: Young Life, InterVarsity
● Professional/Honor Fraternities: PSE, PSP
● Major Club: AMA, AIS
● Diversity Focused Clubs: IAMS, Black Alliance
● Club / Intramural Sports: Club Lacrosse, Club Soccer
● JMU Ran Orgs: Student Ambassadors, FROG, OPA, COB SAC
● Volunteer Opportunities: Experiential Learning, GIVE
● Study Abroad Opportunities: COB 300 in Antwerp, Computer Information Systems is Ireland
● On-campus students jobs: UREC, TA, JMU Dining Services
Alumni network: ​JMU Alumni Association - alumni placed in major companies: IBM, Microsoft, Google,
Salesforce, Twitter, CIA, PwC, Amazon
Financial Aid:​ Options including grants, loans, work-study, and scholarships
National College Rankings and other websites​: Ranked #3 in Regional Universities South, #4 in Best
Undergraduate Teaching, #47 in Best Value Schools (according to US News)

Primary Research
Why JMU? A video presented on JMU’s website that includes interviews from students and teachers asking
them to describe JMU one word (http://isc.jmu.edu/why-james-madison-university).
Words described:
○ Family
○ Hope
○ Friendly
○ Inclusive
○ Collaboration

Consumer Personas:

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 Marketing Goals
Triple the number of inquiries received the year the plan is operationalized (primarily within the Greater Los
Angeles Area).
Have gained 20 additional enrolled students by year four.
1. 20 additional students would increase JMU’s profits from paid tuition by approximately
$582,120 and an additional $10,740 per student if the student is a freshman or chooses to remain
on campus.
2. Currently, the top quintile within the Greater Los Angeles Area has 207 inquiries. Tripling this
number to 621 would more than likely yield a greater number of attendees. The second quintile,
which JMU has 140 inquiries and if tripled, would become 420.
3. The bottom 3 quintiles combined have an average of 151 inquiries. Tripling these inquiries to
453 would also provide a higher level of students attending JMU. However, these markets will
be more difficult to penetrate.
4. With a budget of $400,000 per year, JMU would see an ROI of 1.46 at the end of Year 4. While
it may take some time to reach this, the ROI does not take into account the additional benefits of
a growing alumni base and a greater number of attendees from the LA area.
5. Cultivate and strengthen a growing alumni base throughout the state of California, particularly
the Greater Los Angeles Area​.
6. Establish a strong name recognition and academic reputation within the Southern California area,
specifically the Greater LA Area.

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 Promotional Program Situation Analysis
1. JMU’s “Being the Change” tagline and campaign: emphasis on adverbs when communicating outwards
about JMU to initiate a sense of productivity and results. Using JMU testimonials from JMU Alumni to
strengthen the idea that success is an equal combination of intellect and action.

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2. JMU Unleashed Campaign Promotional: 2nd ever comprehensive campaign, trying to raise
$200,000,000 from alumni in major cities.

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 IMC Objectives and Strategies
The role of James Madison University’s marketing communications program is to accomplish several
objectives, focusing on students in the Southern California region with an emphasis on the Greater Los Angeles
area as well as providing strategies to accomplish them. The first objective is to establish JMU as a desirable
school within the first three years of campaigning in Los Angeles to increase the number of students expected to
apply from that area. JMU will use online advertising targeted towards high school students ages 15-18 as a
strategy for this objective. The second objective is to increase the number of applications received to 100 within
two years through extensive campaigning in Los Angeles and by putting on informational events for students
and parents to learn more. The students that attend these events will receive a waived application fee for James
Madison University. These strategies will help to increase students’ chances of applying. The third objective is
to raise awareness through promotional programs by increasing inquiries in the greater Los Angeles area by
30% (to a total of 647 students) within two years. Strategies to accomplish awareness of James Madison
University will include the increase in advertisements targeted towards students and parents. These
advertisements will be presented in several formats including transit, online, and direct mail advertising. The
last objective of the integrated marketing communications program will be to accomplish an increase of
knowledge about the school by prospective students. Information and student reviews will be sent to families
with high school students as well as sending direct mail which will be targeted towards specific interests the
student may have including sports, clubs, or a particular college within James Madison University​.

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 Media Plan
Objectives
Share-of-Voice​:​ Increase the share of voice by increasing advertising on competitor mediums by 20% at the
end of year two.

Geographic Scope:​ Increase brand awareness specifically in the southern California region, measured by the
number of inquiries by the end of year three.

Scheduling Pattern​: Increase frequency through a pulsing schedule by end of year 3 and achieving that by
being in all major mediums by the end of year two.

Reach: ​Reach at least 10,000 new students in the first year, 50,000 students in the second and 100,000 students
by the time the third year ends.

Frequency:​ Increase the number of times the JMU brand is seen by a normal person in Southern California by
the end of year one.

Strategies
Ads will be focused in the Los Angeles area by being present in magazines, TV ads, and social media trends.

Increase advertising on competitor mediums.

Consistently have an ad running on all major mediums every day.

Penetration of ads focused in Southern California (Greater Los Angeles Area).

Budget
30-second Television ad to put in as a local advertisement
According to fitsmallbusiness.com, a TV advertisement cost is determined by the average amount of
viewers/1000*34.75 (The CPM in Los Angeles). If the average audience per commercial is 20,000 per viewing,
the calculation would be (20,000/1000*34.75 =) $695 per commercial. During Year 1, the goal is to set the
television ads for 4 times a day for 2 weeks straight on 4 different stations. The stations to be included during
Year 1 and Year 2 are CNN, MTV, ESPN, Cooking, one station directing students, and one station segmenting
parents. 112 total commercial times in Year 1. In Year 2, the goal is to set the television advertisement 2 times a
day for 2 weeks straight on 4 different stations, one directing students, and one segmenting parents (56 total
times). The difference between Year 1 and Year 2 is a $20,000 decrease in the budget. The reasoning behind
this is a goal to gain more recognition and interest by Year 2. As a result, Stellar will be less likely to spend as
much money on expensive media. During Year 3, Stellar expects to set the television ads for twice a day for 1
week straight on 2 different stations, one directing students, and one segmenting parents (28 total times). During
Year 3, NBC and ABC will be the channels showcasing the ads. In Year 3, the budget will be decreased by 50%
and is directed by the total amount of budget to be spent on television ads. The goal is to have the television ads
present more exposure throughout the Greater LA Area and be seen as a reminder ad.

Radio script and spot

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The average cost of a Primetime 5 a.m to 8 p.m ​weekly on-air radio campaign expenditure in Los Angeles. The
plan is to use the radio scripts on a channel like Real 92.3 or ALT 98.7 two popular radio stations in the LA area
that match the target audience. ​The average cost of a Primetime 5 a.m to 8 p.m ​weekly on-air radio campaign
expenditure in Los Angeles. The cost will be $8,750. JMU will Record a different campaign during year two
expecting to reach a different audience. Radio advertising is still a way to advertise on a lower price scale.
During Year 3, KPIs will be used to track which campaign was more popular. The plan will be to use the more
popular of the 2 campaigns again for year three.

Magazine Advertisement
The average cost for a full-page magazine advertisement would be 14,500. The most positive and engaging
strategy would be to create a half-page magazine advertisement that would come to an average cost of 7,250.
With ways of wiggling down the price in magazine advertisements. Stellar will budget the advertisement at
7,000 for a half-page advertisement. The best media vehicle to use for magazine ads would be to find a popular
one that targets adults aged 45-54. Two suggestions that could work would be Cosmopolitan or People
Magazine. During year two and three JMU will plan to create different magazine ads to place in high context
magazines like People.

Newspaper Advertisement
The campaign believes that newspaper advertisements are unnecessary and also a waste of money for the target
market.

Rationale
This is more of a focus on the parents of the target market. Typically this target market is mostly on social
media or streaming services while the parents typically spend time listening to the radio or watching TV and
reading magazines. This is an added benefit as parents can have an influence on their child’s decision.

Television Storyboards

Radio Scripts
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*Street noises in background*
“Daughter: Dad! Don’t be sad. I’m just leaving for college.
Dad: I’m not worried for you. I know you’ll have a great time and it’ll be nice being able to lie by the pool
without listening to your music. Your mother and I will just miss you, that’s all.
Narrator: Allow your loved one to receive an enriching educational experience all within the Shenandoah
Valley of Virginia, surrounded by beautiful views. At James Madison University we pride ourselves on values,
school spirit, good food, and great company! The East Coast may be temporary, but Dukes are forever. For
more information on James Madison University, please visit our website at ​www.jmu.edu​.” (Phase out with
JMU fight song... “Madison, James Madison, we are the Dukes of JMU”).

Print Advertisements

Sales Promotions Recommendations

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Objectives
To increase awareness about JMU to the students in the Los Angeles area and increase their interest in
considering this school as a potential future.

Use as an entrance into the Los Angeles area by using sales promotions to reach a new market.

To increase traffic flow on various platforms JMU is apart of.

Strategies
Using various forms of advertising (print, online, social media) to not only increase awareness of students but
parents as well.

JMU will be providing free stickers, pens, notebooks, etc. to promote JMU at events and college fairs.

There will be incentives for promoting JMU. for example, if someone shares a post, they could get 10% off
their JMU merchandise order.

There will be contests hosted by JMU to increase interest in the school and will be conducted through social
media.

Budget
Sales Promotion Budget Reasoning:
The sales promotion budget will be the same for year one and year two. The goal is to get as many students
from the Los Angeles Area to apply which will allow more money to be spent on promotions. Year three
budgeting will increase. The reasoning for the increase in the budget by 100% is the case of having more
recognition in the Los Angeles Area. With more people knowing about James Madison University, there will be
more money to promote JMU as well as letters and recruiting

Print ad with sales promotion

An expense paid-for trip to JMU is the highlight of the sales promotion recommendation. Potential new students
will be entered into a chance to win an all exclusive tour experience. Plan to send the sales promotion print ad
as a letter to all students in the Los Angeles Area who have applied. The average cost per letter is 1 dollar. The
projected amount of applications sent from the area would be around ten. For year two, JMU projects there to
be 500 applications and 1000 applications by the end of year three

Transit advertising
T​here are about 224 billboard panels in LA, they advertise them at an average cost of $4,500. During year 1
JMU will Advertise on 2 billboards. The promotion on the Billboard Ad will be You and +1 could win a free
trip from LA to Harrisonburg. During year two there will be an increase in the amount of billboards ads to a
total of 3 and increase the number to 4 during year three.

Recruiters/Speakers
During Year one, The plan is to pay a JMU employee to fly to Los Angeles for a 2 weeks in the fall and a 2
weeks in the spring. Each time he/she will be compensated $1,500, also receiving free hotel and food that will
increase the total for the year to be 2000 a trip. The goal is to help promote JMU at school fairs and high school
events such as football games, basketball games, etc. During Year two, JMU employee will be paid once again
to fly to Los Angeles for a 2 weeks in the fall and 2 weeks in the spring. During Year three, JMU would hire a
Page ​23​ of ​46
part-time employee in Los Angeles during the fall semester. The employee will attend college fairs and high
schools to talk about the university and what JMU can offer. Paying her/him $10,000 for her work. Paying
someone from JMU to come to Los Angeles during the spring semester for one week will cost $1,000 for
his/her services.

Rationale
A good portion of the target market is more than likely not willing to spend money on a plane ticket and hotel
just to visit a campus far away. This allows students to experience JMU before admitting to the school,
especially for those who may not be able to afford to do so. This also gives the target market an incentive to
explore outside of the state through JMUs sales promotion.

Executions/Deliverables

Direct Marketing Recommendations

Page ​24​ of ​46

Objectives
Help us target students who have thought about James Madison University in the past.

Provide an ROI that is measurable and understandable.

Make potential students more aware of James Madison and feel more engaged in the process (ex. Have 15% of
all pamphlets sent out responded to through visiting a unique website on the advertisement to apply, etc.)

After JMU finds its base, personality connect to students, by directly sending personalized letters through mail
and email, this way JMU can hopefully receive a direct behavioral response.

Send online surveys that people fill out analyzing how JMU is doing from their viewpoint.

Strategies
Personally connect to the students who JMU might have lost, the best strategy will be to send direct mail in the
hope that they get it and it reminds them about James Madison University.

By using telemarketing, JMU should be able to see how many people clicked a link, etc and get an estimate on
the amount of engagement received.

To make potential students more aware the plan would be to create an academic awareness catalog to send to
the LA students.

JMU will find students that they think are most likely going to come from the LA area, then they will send out
the emails and also mail to gain attention.

Make a survey to include in the email, and other telemarketing options that can help JMU see what they need to
either improve or not.

Budget
Internet
During year one, Direct-email marketing will include a survey about the informational connection between Los
Angeles and Harrisonburg. The cost will be 3 hours of work. Cost of $10 an hour. During year two, direct email
marketing will create a total of 6 hours of work at $10 an hour. During year three, direct email marketing will
create a total of 25 hours of work for $10 an hour.

Direct-marketing
There are around 350,000 students in the Los Angeles area who are in 9th,10th, 11th grade. To further segment
to more preferred zip codes, letters will be sent out to approximately 100,000 people at $0.55 each. During year
two, JMU sending letters will differ a small amount. JMU will have more research and a better understanding of
what areas and high schools might be interested in JMU by this timeframe. Thus 750,000 letters will be sent out
at $0.75 each. This reason for an increase in the cost of the letter is because the package will cost more as JMU
will be providing a lot more information in the direct letter. During year three, there will be an increase in letters
mailed out due to more extensive research and a better understanding of what areas and high schools JMU
students come from in the LA area. To further segment to more preferred zip codes, 50,000 letters will be sent
out at $1.00 each. An increase in the cost of letters each year is a direct result of having to cover shipping and
production costs with fewer letters.

Page ​25​ of ​46

Telemarketing
JMU will utilize a calling list that will be provided by the individuals who have shown interest in James
Madison. This information will be conducted through the interaction of QR Codes on the ads and surveys sent
out. They also will be able to see who is interested in high school college fairs and face to face meetings. JMU
Projected interest will result in 40 hours of phone calls during the year. The projected cost per hour is $20. By
year two, it is projected that interest will double in the Los Angeles Area. Projected interest will result in 80
hours of phone calls during the year. For year three, JMU will have gained attention and awareness throughout
the Los Angeles Area and crawling into the suburbs around. Projected interest will result in 150 hours of phone
calls during the year. The projected cost per hour is $25.

Media Vehicle
Utilize Mailchimp to send customizable emails to the target market and Qualtrics for surveys. Everything else
will be conducted through JMUs in-house methods.

Rationale
Emails are one of the most effective ways to get the attention of students because they are on their phones for a
large portion of the time. This is an effective and cheap way to reach many people and will be one of JMU’s
biggest forms of advertisements.

Executions/Deliverables

Internet/Interactive Recommendations
Objectives
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Create a strong brand image through an attractive and welcoming website

Take advantage of search engine optimization to find the perfect prospects

Strategies
Update the website to help target students who live far away. Promote how easy it is to travel to JMU on the
homepage.

Creating a Hubspot or Hootsuite account to find who exactly is the right student in the Los Angeles Area

Work with Google to optimize your target market and find all the main keywords that could be related to JMU
and make sure that if those are searched that JMU is.

Budget
Internet
The Internet’s main source of advertising will come from Interactive advertisements for students to learn more
about JMU. The use of keyword searches will help increase traffic to JMU’s website and increase engagement
in articles mentioning JMU. Create Optimization for pay per click advertising on Google Adwords. The
projected cost per click is for education is $2.40. Stellar Estimates a total of 10,000 clicks on JMU ads during
the first year. The website will have fresh, updated content tailored to the information that will be useful for
students. Price of $2,000 for an updated website tailored to JMUs new marketing campaign. During Year two
the projected increase in clicks on ads is by 10,000, coming to a total of 20,000. During year three, the increase
in the total amount of clicks will jump to a total of 30,000.

Webisodes
According to Richter Studios, the average cost to produce a corporate based webisode video is around 20,000
dollars. The plan is to create a video headlining the new marketing campaign. The goal of the video is too show
how JMU isn’t just your school, it will be your home. The point is to gain an immediate increase in exposure in
the Los Angeles Area. The webisode will only be used as a yearly expense but will be shown in demonstrations
and face to face meetings for the whole three-year plan.

Search Engine Optimization

Work with a company like IgniteVisibility, the number one SEO company in California for three years in a row.
The goal is to make the search radius, so the ads will only be seen by people who live in the Los Angeles Area.
for a medium-sized company, it would be around $10,000 for google ads for the year Plus the cost of working
with Ignite for a year contract costs $20,000. Things included would be keyword analysis, keyword assignment,
On-site content SEO, On-site internal link optimization, plus more. With an accurate success rate, the plan
would be to stay with the company for all three years and also use google optimization. For each additional
year, the contract will decrease by 1000 until it hits a low of 15000 where it can’t get any lower.

Rationale

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By 2020, there will be almost 300 million internet users in the United States. With technology being new, the
price for some internet services does not come cheap. But the use of optimization and other methods is one of
the most effective methods today to reach the exact audience you want.

Executions/Deliverables

Social Media Recommendations

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Objectives
Gain over 100 new Instagram followers from the Los Angeles area

On Facebook, the objective is to gain at least 200 likes and 100 new followers from the LA area

Increase JMU’s brand awareness by keeping track of some KPIs

Strategies
Create a unique Instagram campaign targeted to students living far away and how coming to school in Virginia
is the place to be.

Through Facebook Audience Insights, the ads will be placed in accordance to what students in California are
interested in.

Using a website such as Rival Analytics provides snapshots of statistics like engagement score on Instagram to
the average amount of posts on Facebook.

Interact with prospect students by creating a hashtag or contest for free products/merchandise.

The social media will be frequently updated with posts, stories and blog links to entice prospects.

Budget
Media Vehicle to hold platforms
Use Hootsuite or Hubspot to keep track of all your social media platforms. A customer relationship
management tool like Hubspot will allow Stellar to schedule social media posts and be able to see a calendar of
all posts coming up.

Facebook
JMU’s facebook approach should include creative Facebook ads that follow JMU’s campaign. Facebook's
advertising allows you to further segment ads based on age, location, and interests. The average price for
education advertising on Facebook comes to $1.06. JMU is estimated at around 15,000 clicks during the first
year. During year two, it is expected to have more exposure on social media. JMU will still create Facebook ads
that follow their campaign but different ones to further reach the target audience. JMU estimates around 30,000
clicks during the second year. During Year three, JMU expects to have more exposure on social media. JMU
will still create Facebook ads that follow their campaign but different ones to further reach the right target
audience.JMU is estimated at around 40,000 clicks during the second year.

Youtube
An interactive and creative way to advertise JMU through a column of videos. Set a campaign during year one
shows, for example, how easy it really is to move from California to Virginia. JMU should plan to distribute to
the most popular youtube channels that students in the Los Angeles area watch. Create a video ad campaign on
youtube that will cost around 20 cents per click and the projected amount of clicks on the video campaign
comes to 10,000. Youtube has a specific audience, so generating a campaign during the first year to gain more
reach in the Los Angeles Area is the strategy JMU is going with. Moving into year two and three, a youtube
advertisement will not be used for the reason of it being unnecessary to the campaign. The plan is to focus and
spend more money on social media sites that will give JMU the highest engagement score.

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Twitter
Using ​Twitter Ads​ is an easy way to project tweets in front of audiences that don't yet follow JMU, which is
particularly useful for generating new leads for the business. The goal on Twitter would be to launch a
campaign directed to the main IMC campaign. JMU expects to receive around 500 new twitter followers from
Los Angeles students during year one at a price of $3 per new followers(https://thrivehive.com/). During year
two JMU will create a new set of ads that can hopefully target a whole new set of people. JMU expects to
receive around 1000 new twitter followers from Los Angeles students during year two. At a price of $3 per new
followers(https://thrivehive.com/). During year three JMU will create a new set of ads that can hopefully target
a whole new set of people. They expect to receive around 3000 new twitter followers from Los Angeles
students during year three.

Instagram
JMU’s Instagram campaign would like to run ads on a cost per mile basis and can be used as a way to reach the
target audience. If JMU projects the views to be around 500,000. Instagram advertising comes at a total cost of
$5 for every 1000 views. Another advertising method on Instagram is directed ads which would be calculated
by a pay per click payment. The cost per click would be $2 and the projected amount of people is 5,000 who
would actually be interested and followed through by clicking on the link. During year two JMU will not run
ads on a cost per mile basis. Instead, they will create ads only on a cost per click payment. The cost per click
would be $2 and JMU would project 10,000 people to actually be interested and follow through by clicking on
the link. During year three JMU will not run ads on a cost per mile basis. Instead, ads will be created on a cost
per click payment. The cost per click would be $2 and JMU would project 15,000 people to actually be
interested and follow through by clicking on the link.

Snapchat
The most popular app for ages 12-17 years old. It is believed to be the key to getting a competitive advantage
and targeting the youth movement faster than other schools. One of the advertising methods on Snapchat is a
top snap. The plan on Snapchat is to use top snap only and to create a 10-second short-form video that hopes to
make an eye-catching impression. The average cost per month for Snapchat ads is $3,000 and is the only
platform with a flat rate. The plan is to implement the Snapchat ads starting in August when applications start
and end in January when people stop sending in applications. During year two, the goal is to create a Snapchat
campaign during the summer to get more interest before the school year begins. The goal would be to get the
university name inside the student’s heads once the application season starts to come around. Starting in June
and ending in September. During year three, the goal is to create a Snapchat campaign during the fall semester
to show off how beautiful the JMU campus is at the change of seasons. A Snapchat campaign showing the
leaves changing will be something different. The campaign starts in August and goes until November, which
will be a total of 4 ​months.

LinkedIn
The best use of advertising on LinkedIn is the creation of an ad on a pay per click basis. The average cost of
advertising on LinkedIn is around $3 per click. With presenting ads to students in the Los Angeles area, the
projected amount of clicks during year 1 is 1,000. With more exposure, the expected increase in the number of
clicks will increase to 3,000 in year two and 5,000 in year three.

By Media Vehicle
All social media platforms will be used.

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Rationale
JMU’s target market is most active on the major social media sites - Twitter and Instagram. Parents of JMUs
target market typically send the most time on Facebook which would be a bonus to gaining interest. The use of
colors makes JMU’s ads more appealing and will be more likely to catch people’s attention.

Executions/Deliverables

Public Relations and Publicity Recommendations

Objectives
Page ​31​ of ​46
Closely monitoring social media sites for any comments or likes from people in the Los Angeles area.

Creating interest in James Madison University by getting recognition through articles and press releases.

Building goodwill among the Los Angeles area through community, philanthropic and special programs and
events.

Strategies
Hire a social media account watcher that responds and helps prospects.

Create a Press Release in the Los Angeles area to gain traction and interest in the area.

Attend community events that attract the target market.

Budget
SM intern
To help create and look overall social media sites. The most important thing is to make sure that any questions
prospects or parents have are responded if asked on social media. The hiring of a social media intern will be
able to solve all of these issues. The estimated cost of a part-time job during the first year comes to around
$10,000. As years two and three continue, it will be necessary to have an SM intern and if more people are
needed to answer questions, then JMU can budget in more work hours during the following years. The
projected cost will incline because of the expected increase in engagement on social sites.

Release of a Press Release in the Los Angeles area

To reach the correct audience in the press releases, it is best to hire professionals. The cost of a highly seasoned,
professional PR writer who will understand the Los Angeles market well and will be a specialist in the
education sector estimated is $3,000 per a press release. With minimum recognition in the area, the estimated
amount of releases for year one will be around 2 releases. During year two and three as JMU continues to gain
recognition, the estimated amount of press releases that might get released are 3 per year.

JMU community service week in the surrounding area of Los Angeles

JMU will provide an alternative Spring break for 10 students to travel to Los Angeles and provide community
service for housing repairs and soup kitchens. The goal is to show the community how JMU cares about service
and doing good deeds. The cost of travel, housing and food will have a total cost of $15,000 during year 1.
With a successful first year, during spring break, JMU will hold this event for years two and three. Projected
increase in students to 15 in year two and 20 in year three.

Rationale
Utilizing the credibility of public relations and the media will gain more interest and recognition from out of
state students.

Page ​32​ of ​46

Focusing on recognition from credible sources will gain more attraction for students that are more interested in
accolades for universities.

Executions/Deliverables

Personal Selling Recommendations

Objectives
Page ​33​ of ​46
Promote JMU’s image by connecting with students of the geographic area.

Build awareness by personality connecting to the student and being to fully explain what makes JMU amazing.

Strategies
Different organizations, recruiters and current students will speak to students of the LA area at different events.

Provide schedules highlighting meetings with students who are interested in the school and allowing parents to
join.

The Use of brochures, face to face meetings and information sessions to educate people about JMU.

Budget

Recruiting
Attending high schools to hold exclusive informational sessions about the university attended by students who
are interested in listening and hearing about what the school is about. The projected goal will be to attend at
least 6 different high schools during year one. The total cost will be 2 hours each, paying $30 an hour. During
year two, the expected number to attend shall surpass 15 different high schools and in year three the goal is to
attend 30 different high schools within the area.

Brochures
A brochure will be created that will contain information that is informative and personally connecting that will
be given to each student that the recruiter talks too. The cost of making each brochure is $3 a pop. The projected
total amount of people would be 200 during year one, 500 during year two and 1,000 people during year three.
The brochure will be made during year one headlining the campaign on the front and then going into actual
information about the school and what makes it unique.

Face-to-Face meetings
There will be a designated alumnus or recruiter talk to students who have shown interest through email or prior
events. This interaction would be on a face to face basis to teach them about JMU in a personal way. Gaining
that personal connection can be the backbone of getting that student to come to JMU. He/she will be paid $50
an hour and will total around 50 hours during year one, correlating to each meeting is 1 hour and 50 interested
students. During year two and three, there will be an expected increase in the number of interested kids too
around 100 during year two and up too 250 total students during year three.

Rationale
Having alumni or faculty attend in-person events allows students to hear from the first-hand experience and
gain a new perspective on the school, even if they have not visited yet

Attending these events gives JMU direct access to those students and the ones that are genuinely interested in
the school.
Media Flowchart
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Page ​35​ of ​46
Page ​36​ of ​46
Budget Breakdown and Summary

Page ​37​ of ​46

Page ​38​ of ​46
Budget Summary
The 2020 marketing budget was set by the JMU Admissions board. For the next three years, JMU’s marketing
budget to reach the Los Angeles area is $400,000 a year, or a total of $1,200,000. Advertising mediums such as
television, radio, and magazines account for 15.28% or $183,000 of the $1,200,000. The first-year television
cost is 23.4% of the estimated budget for the year. The high television costs are associated with having
commercials on TV platforms such as NBC and ABC. Sales promotions increase in total cost per year from
3.3% or $13,200 in Year 1 to 7.5% or $30,000 in Year 3. The use of print ads, recruiters, and billboards that
influence sales promotions will lead to higher levels of exposure among the desired target audience. Direct
marketing is a key marketing tactic needed to reach the Los Angeles area. During Year 3, the most expensive
direct marketing strategy JMU will use is through the use of direct mail. Direct mail accounts for 98.5% of the
total direct marketing costs and remains nearly the same for the following two years. Telemarketing increases
from $800 up to $3,750 by Year 3 because of the higher volume of calls that will be conducted. The total cost of
email marketing will increase over the years but does not surpass 0.06% of any year’s total budget. Because
JMU is not a marketing expert, $20,000 or 5% of each year’s budget will be used to hire IgniteVisibility. Ignite
allows JMU to expand its reach and exposure through the Internet. To improve optimization, an additional plan
with Ignite for $10,000 allows JMU to have top-notch search engine optimization techniques. These costs total
$30,000 a year or a total of 7.5% of the total budget. The creation of a webisode by a professional company will
come to a cost of $10,000 a year or 2.5% of the budget, but will only be used in the first year to increase
awareness. The final Internet strategy is Google ads that are on a pay per click cost basis. The expected increase
in publicity in Los Angeles projects JMU to increase their spending from $24,000 or 6% of the budget in Year 3
where the total PPC costs come to $72,000 or 18%. In 2019, we will increase the use of social media, a key
element of the IMC plan. In the first year only, Stellar will incur a unique expense for a YouTube ad campaign.
The total cost to have a video ad presented prior to watching a video will cost JMU $2,000, or 0.05%. The
social media platform that costs the most money out of the 6 platforms is Facebook. Through the third year
plan, the total amount of money that is projected to be spent comes to $90,100, or 7.2% of the overall estimated
budget. Instagram expenses differ as JMU will spend money on a campaign during the first year, but only
decided to go with the direct advertisements for Years 2 and 3. Increasing the total amount of direct ads from
only $10,000 (2.5%) up to $30,000 (7.5%) in Year 3. The three other platforms all have a lower cost for
advertising than Facebook and Instagram. The cheapest platform to advertise on is Twitter which only reaches
up to an estimated amount of $9,000 by Year 3. Snapchat is the only social media platform that has a flat rate
payment. Each campaign will be a different number of months. Multiplying it by the price per month came to
around $3,000. The final platform used for a more professional base is LinkedIn. High school students may not
have an account, but it is still a smart way to reach the parent audience at a cost of $27,000 throughout the three
years. As JMU becomes well known throughout the LA area, JMU will have to do more public relations to stay
ahead of the curb. The use of a social media intern costs JMU $10,000(2.5%) during Year 1 and up to
$15,000(3.75%) during Year 3. To reach more publicity in the Los Angeles Area, the use of press releases by a
professional writer will cost JMU $3,000 for each press release. Flying ten current JMU students out to LA to
participate in community service is a beneficial way to receive good PR. The cost of an all-expenses-paid spring
break trip for ten students is $15,000(3.75%). The final section of the IMC plan that’s included in the budget is
personal selling. The use of a JMU employer or alumni will cost the school only $360 during Year 1. During
Year 3, recruiters will cost $1,800 as JMU attends more high school and college fairs. Another use of personal
selling is face-to-face meetings with JMU employers and alums, as well as handing out brochures to interested
people. The total cost of both comes too $3,100 or 0.78% of the yearly budget in Year 1. As JMU talks to more
students face-to-face and has to create more brochures, the personal selling cost will increase. The Year 3 total
cost will increase by $12,400 to a total of $15,500 or 3.88% of the Year 3 budget.

Page ​39​ of ​46

 Measurement and Evaluation

In order to monitor, evaluate, and control James Madison University’s marketing campaign, Stellar will be
doing a series of pretests before advertisements and posttests after advertisements to measure the effectiveness
of this marketing campaign. Information on the pretests and posttests can be seen below.

Pre Tests:

Stellar will conduct extensive research on the target market’s current interests and trends.

The research will then be molded into a creative advertisement to then be evaluated by current students at James
Madison University.

Surveys will be sent out to JMU students to determine how interested they were in the ad and give feedback.

Interactive media will be measured by prior campaigns used and use average reach compared to average
population to get a prediction on how much response JMU might receive from tv or radio ads

Post Tests:

Discover if the students can accurately recognize and recall of the surveys

Retrieve data and information to further execute a successful advertisement to present in Los Angeles.

Interactive data, after year 1 based off of the amount of engagement received from the ads including people
mentioning JMU on social media or calling the school to learn more from the tv and radio ads

Social media metrics:

Finding out the average engagement score per platform before the 3-year campaign, then again check and see
the difference after each year.

On Instagram and Twitter, you can see how many mentions you have received to metric out if fellow students
are interested.

Events:

To measure and evaluate events presented by James Madison University, surveys prior to events will be sent out
to various vendors, sponsors and attendees to ensure satisfaction and expectation. There will be a series of tests
to measure interest, reaction and engagement of advertisements relating to the event and analyze the data to
further determine steps to go further with planning. Throughout the campaign, the efficiency of the various
advertisements including radio and TV commercials, print, and online advertisements will be measured by
tracking the interest and engagement. Efficiency will also be measured through the use of various networking
events and informational meetings. Not only will data be retrieved by reaction and responses, but JMU will be
measuring the effectiveness through surveys sent out regarding how many students are aware of JMU and if
Page ​40​ of ​46
they have heard the name recently. Other questions will include the likelihood of considering James Madison
University as a school for them. All of this information will allow JMU to enhance their advertisements and
networking events.

Conclusion
The Integrated Marketing Communications Plan created by Stellar Marketing Group for James Madison
University seeks to increase brand awareness, and thus increase applications from high school students in
Southern California region with a focus on the greater Los Angeles area. By making the campaign theme
“Virginia may be temporary, but JMU is forever,” students in that region can get an idea that moving across the
country will be for a temporary period of time, but the experiences you have and connections you make at JMU
will be forever. Through setting specific, measurable objectives and allocating the $1,200,000 budget to various
promotional sections, JMU will be able to achieve its goals. These goals include tripling the number of inquiries
received the year the plan is operationalized and receiving twenty additional enrolled students by Year Four.
This campaign has a great emphasis on the power of social media and Internet marketing, as well as in-person
events for potential students to get an understanding of what it is like to attend JMU. Much of our target market
does not have a large presence on radio, Magazine, and through direct-mail. Therefore, there has been less
money allocated toward those mediums, but enough to hopefully gain the attention of parents of current high
school students. To be successful in achieving the amount of students it is inevitable that JMU focuses on
Public relations, and Personal selling to reach their goal In order to monitor, evaluate, and control James
Madison University’s marketing campaign, a series of pretests and posttests will be in done in order to release
advertisements and social media campaigns to the public with maximum effectiveness. The final evaluation of
the campaign set the stage for James Madison University to make recommendations regarding future IMC
plans.

Page ​41​ of ​46

 Appendices
Appendix A: Storyboards

Appendix B: Print Ads

Appendix C: Social Media Ads

Page ​42​ of ​46

Corporate Advertising

Most of the advertising done is classified as corporate advertising because JMU is not attempting to sell a
certain product or service. Instead, JMU is trying to strengthen its brand image and attractiveness across the Los
Angeles Area to incentivize students to apply and if accepted, attend JMU. This is done through a strong and
cohesive campaign

Image Advertising

The main goal of JMU’s image advertising is to create an image that captures the essence of the campaign. For
this campaign, JMU is conveying the feeling of belonging and family, even if living in Virginia isn’t a
permanent decision. This is done through visual ads that highlight the campaign is all about.

References

Page ​43​ of ​46

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